Ask and You Shall Receive

What a gorgeous Saturday here in Kentucky! The crystal clear bright blue skies provided a gorgeous backdrop for the bright sun that took the chill off the day, and everywhere I looked, I saw trees and flowers in bloom to announce that spring has arrived. The warm temperatures and gorgeous scenery were invitations to spend some time outdoors, and it was an invitation that I gladly and readily accepted. I stepped outside, literally and figuratively, to do just one thing for myself today.

April showers have brought more than May flowers, as they also have brought grass that needed to be cut and weeds that needed to be pulled. I find yard work to be both relaxing and somewhat meditative, as I lose myself in the rhythm of the work and in the sights, sounds, and scents of nature. It is one of the few times when I remain fully present, and I love every minute of it. As I put in the time and effort this afternoon to do yard work, I felt the stress and the grief of this past week fade away with every blade of grass that was cut and every weed that was pulled, and they were replaced with a renewed sense of hope and optimism. My muscles may be a bit achy at the moment, but I feel a sense of satisfaction that comes from putting in an afternoon of hard work, both physically and emotionally.

Today was not all about working, though, as I was able to do just one thing for my younger daughter. This week has been a difficult one for both of my daughters, as they miss their dad, who is out-of-town to be with his father who had a massive stroke earlier in the week and is near death, and learn to cope with the impending loss of their grandfather. I am trying to keep things as ‘normal’ as possible during this difficult period of time, but I also recognized the need to do things out of the realm of what we usually do to take care of my daughters’ well-being. So, even though I had a full day of household and yard tasks that I was determined to complete, when my younger daughter asked me for two things, I readily agreed.

Her first request was for me to take her to a locally owned toy store to use some of the money she has saved to buy a new stuffed animal. She has other stuffed animals, but I realized that her request was an emotional one, not a material one. She was in need of a new source of comfort to help her navigate the tumultuous waters of grief and loss, so, we made a quick trip to the toy store, and she selected a cute dog as her newest companion to love and cuddle and promptly named him “Jerry” after her grandfather. Somehow, I know that he approves of his namesake.

Luckily, “Jerry” was not the only recipient of my daughter’s love and affection, as her second request was for me to set aside my work for a while to spend time cuddling with her on our couch. As much as she needed me, I needed her, so, I cherished our “cuddle time”. As we snuggled up together, she shared her feelings about her grandfather’s impending death and her concerns for her dad and grandmother being “okay” after he dies, and I was able to provide some comfort. We both were right where we needed to be.